At around noon today, the marine mammal found itself wedged between a rock and a pillar below the Union Street Bridge. According to witnesses, the dolphin struggled to get out, but hit its head against the pillar. After 5:30 p.m., bystanders said the dolphin stopped moving and began to float.

Earlier in the day, the NYPD Harbor and Emergency Service Units and marine experts from the Riverhead foundation arrived at the scene to see how they could help. They had hoped the high tide would set the dolphin free, but the marine mammal was clearly injured when it arrived at Gowanus.

The Environmental Protection Agency called the canal "one of the most contaminated water bodies in the nation" in 2011.